HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Redstone Arsenal has a workforce of more than 40,000 people, including more than 20,000 civilian workers. Plenty of those federal workers are furloughed during the current government shutdown in a year that has already seen significant upheaval in the federal workforce.

About half of that civilian workforce at Redstone Arsenal is represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, "AFGE Local 1858."

AFGE Local 1858 President Abner Merriweather, an electrical engineer, worked on Redstone Arsenal for 42 years before his retirement on Sept 30. He told News 19 on Tuesday that the current shutdown is unlike anything he’s seen before.

"Completely in the dark, completely," Merriweather said. “Normally, like we said, on the normal furloughs, we are briefed

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